Outward Bound-type programs
have gained increasing recognition in the United States, usually appealing
to middle and upper-class youth interested in challenging opportunities
to develop self-confidence. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, outdoor
survival programs were experimented with by Larry Dean Olsen, Larry
Wells, and Doug Nelson, to name a few early leaders, which was found
to be effective with young people with emotional and behavior problems.
There are at least 10 quality programs running currently which use outdoor
survival in working with these young people with problems, and more
being developed all the time.